Ever since the pandemic receded, the question of whether staff should ‘return to the office’, or be able to retain a significant (or even total) element of remote working, has been an integral part of the corporate conversation. Ultimately, it seems that the majority of companies have decided upon a hybrid approach combining remote and office-based work, calibrated to the needs of employees.
This approach does seem wise in a job market that has become increasingly competitive post-Covid as employees have felt more inclined to review their lives and make changes. Moreover, an extensive body of research underlines the merits of hybrid working, including a recent study by Stanford University in the US that found home-based employees were just as productive as those in the office, but also ‘far less likely to quit’.

So it’s not surprising that the focus for many businesses at the moment is on optimising their hybrid working capabilities – in other words, ensure they have the tools and technologies required to ensure that the working and meeting experience is essentially the same, wherever the participants happen to be located on any given day.
In this article we’ll assess the current stage of the investment cycle, as well as some of the elements – including IP, audio & video systems and collaboration tools – that companies should prioritise as they seek to fully ‘harness hybrid’. There will also be a few thoughts on how up-and-coming technologies – not least AI – are likely to impact the workplace.
TRANSFORMATION STATE
In terms of the continued hybridisation of the workplace this year, it appears that investments have continued relatively strongly during 2024. However, the ongoing economic and political uncertainties with which we are all-too-familiar have added an additional note of caution, says Scarlett Woodford, head of collaboration at Futuresource Consulting.
“The last few years have seen a profound shift in the relationship between companies and their employees,” she says. “Home- and remote-working have become normalised, and the use of video is now widespread.” That said, four years on from the outbreak of Covid-19, “there is still uncertainty around the ideal balance of in-person and remote workers, how office space may be used, and even what the office is for. While technology can facilitate hybrid work, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach appropriate to all companies; instead, organisations are finding which solutions work best for their needs.”
Meanwhile, there has been a steady stream of “geopolitical and economic shocks that have raised caution around discretionary spending. Nonetheless, there is optimism around budgets, and a willingness to spend on the right decisions.” As to the nature of these investments, the latest Futuresource Enterprise AV Decision Maker survey found that small meeting rooms were the priority for future investment, with wireless presentation solutions, video conferencing systems and video conferencing peripherals making up the top three areas for spending.”
In news that will be welcome to vendors and SIs everywhere, Woodford reveals that decision-makers also expect that AV budgets for small rooms to increase over the next three years. But there is broader change in the industry that they should take into account: “The AV market is becoming more competitive, with the entrance of Chinese manufacturers (and their aggressive pricing strategies) placing downward pressure on the pricing models of Western vendors.”
WORKING TOGETHER
A conversation with Nadia Bollinger, VP of solutions at HP, offers several clues as to the intense competition the workplace market is now experiencing. Drawing on the company’s own annual research, she notes that “most rooms today are not video-enabled, which results in lot of employees using their own laptops. As I’m sure you can attest to this having probably been in the situation yourself, this doesn’t really leverage the full capability of that in-person experience, or minimise the opportunity to experience a truly collaborative virtual and hybrid meeting.”
As was the case with many interviews for this article, optimising the worker experience – including steps that make it easier to connect with colleagues – is at the top of the priority list for HP. “Every tear we issue a Work Relationship Index, and in the latest edition we found that 75 percent of knowledge workers want to feel connected with their colleagues, but that 43 percent are not experiencing that connection,” says Bollinger.
“It was also clear that personalised work experiences are important for shaping the future of work. But the good news for employees is that the majority of companies are investing in ways to upgrade conference rooms, and the office is now shifting from a place where people go to work to a place where we see people gather to work together.”
Acknowledging the migration of the office to a “place for creation, connection and collaboration”, HP has recently brought to market HP Managed Collaboration Services. Emphasising “meeting equity” with reliable, managed room solutions as well as proactive support functions, including remote monitoring and insights, the service aims to address several enduring business quandaries: “It’s intended to help companies think about how do I this? How do I figure out what is the optimal collaboration experience that I want to provide to my users? And then based on that, looking at my entire environment globally, how do I optimise each of those spaces to meet those needs?”
PEOPLE-CENTRIC
The tendency for companies to focus on upgrading medium-sized rooms is highlighted by Simon Watson, global head of innovation at AV and UCC integrator Kinly. He says it has “absolutely been a major” continuing trend since the pandemic, with many customers making requests that chime neatly with Kinly’s focus on delivering “people-centric medium rooms. [It involves thinking carefully] about what activity goes on in those rooms and that they are provided with the right tools.”
But as hybrid working methods have begun to settle down, Watson has noticed an increasing desire to “optimise the employee experience across the board for those in the office environment, home workers and remote workers.” Which has led, he adds, to more involved conversations about all kinds of environmental factors, including ambient light and CO2 levels. “Ultimately, you can become quite proactive in providing a room that people are going to be comfortable in, and be able to have a meeting that is productive.”

To this end, the company is currently preparing to launch a new service offering, Optimise, that will draw on extensive data collection and analysis to improve the workplace experience. Watson also indicates that there is a significant potential crossover with sustainability in terms of helping companies to use the available data to ensure they are on track to meet their ESG goals.
TOP TIPS
If the shift towards hybrid working is undeniable, it’s also hard to argue with the fact that companies can face some pretty tough choices in deciding which aspects need to receive investment – and which can, perhaps, be put back until economic conditions are more favourable. In this spirit, Installation invited several leading vendors for their top tips to companies wanting to optimise their AV infrastructures for hybrid working.
Brad Hintze is EVP of global marketing at Crestron, which in 2022 issued a fascinating report in conjunction with Reworked that revealed many companies had entered a state of “hybrid permanence” – since when the company has continued with multiple product launches reflecting this trend, including the 1 Beyond Cameras with visual framing AI technology, and has also undertaken an initiative to ensure hybrid work is implemented properly for its employees.
“First and foremost, I’d recommend an AV-over-IP system as the backbone of any solution,” says Hintze. “It’s scalable and eminently flexible. It allows for cloud management and monitoring. It’s excellent for deployments that demand near-zero latency. The benefits that can be delivered over a single cable are pretty remarkable.
“The other thing that I’d recommend is a truly holistic approach. Treat every space as if it will be used in a hybrid manner at some point, so it will need connectivity and hardware. Outfit each room based on optimising AV for its use case. (For example, even a large video bar isn’t likely the best solution for a big conference room.) Think about how much real estate you actually need and if you’re going to implement desk-scheduling solutions for hot-desking and hoteling. There are hardware and software options that can make all of this easier.”
MULTIPLE PRIORITIES
For Shure, sales director James Hill highlights multiple priorities including clear and reliable audio – “essential for effective communication and collaboration among hybrid teams” – as well as general ease of use and seamless integration of equipment into existing workflows. He adds: “Systems that require minimal training and support enable employees to focus on their primary tasks without dealing with technical issues. Solutions that offer plug-and-play capabilities and have intuitive user interfaces are especially beneficial. This ease of use not only reduces downtime, but also makes hybrid work less stressful for employees.”
In a sentiment echoed by many others, Hill also underlines the importance of scalability and flexibility – not least as hybridisation itself is still a work in progress. “As the nature of hybrid working evolves, an organisation’s AV infrastructure should be able to adapt accordingly. This could mean investing in versatile equipment that can be used in various settings, from large conference rooms to smaller spaces. A flexible system is one that can grow and change with the organisation’s needs, ensuring long-term value and functionality.”
Shure has recently launched several solutions specifically aimed at supporting hybrid and remote environments, including the Microflex Wireless (MXW) neXt 2, a two-channel wireless microphone system featuring smart functionalities that enable easy set-up and management for all kinds of meetings. Also new is an Audio Conferencing Kit that includes the MXA902 Integrated Ceiling Array, paired and pre-routed with the ANISUB Audio Network Interface, all shipping in a single box.

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY
For audio and videoconferencing company Jabra, video solutions director James Spencer reeled off a comprehensive list of factors that should be considered as companies continue to review what the office looks like.
Among other advice, he urged investment in flexible, easy to manage technology that elevates both audio and video quality; equipping of meeting rooms with plug-and-play video bars that are easy to use; equip staff in the office and working remotely with professional noise-cancelling headsets to minimise distractions; provide personal video conferencing cameras for remote participants; and create zones and workplaces to suit different needs, and with technology that is suitable for those specific spaces – quiet zones and group collaboration rooms being two examples.
In the next cycle of corporate sector investments, Spencer anticipates an emphasis on enhancing productivity and collaboration, regardless of the meeting configuration. “As businesses optimise office space and in some cases downscale, there is a shift towards small meeting rooms and flexible spaces. With meeting rooms oversubscribed (Tues-Thurs being the most popular office days), there is the need for flexible open plan spaces that can also be used for meetings. Technology should be able to accommodate and maximise use of these spaces.”
VIRTUAL COLLEAGUES
No prizes for guessing that AI was a recurring theme of interviews for this piece, with a universal agreement that it’s bound to have a significant impact on the generation of hybrid working technologies. Hill points to the emergence of AI companion Microsoft Copilot and other productivity tools. He also highlights the enhanced meeting analytics facilitated by AI, which will be able to provide “insights on meeting engagement, participation and productivity. This data will allow organisations to optimise their meeting practices and improve the overall efficiency by understanding what works and what doesn’t in a hybrid set-up.”
Spencer also highlights Microsoft Copilot and predicts that “the use of AI as a virtual colleague” will be a growing trend in 2025. Indeed, he says Jabra’s own research has “found 80 percent of decision-makers are willing to delegate or collaborate on tasks with AI, such as taking meeting notes and summarising tasks. Microsoft Copilot is already proving to be an invaluable assistant for virtual meetings, transcribing in real-time, generating detailed summaries, and creating actionable tasks for participants.”
But there is a “a long way to go yet” in terms of deployment, with Jabra’s research also finding that only 23 percent of UK office workers are using AI in their daily roles, whilst the vast majority (83 percent) say they are unsure how AI can improve efficiency. At the very least, this suggests there is a big role for the industry in terms of employee education and explanation – something we can surely expect to see much more of in the next 12 months.
AI that improves the video experience for all participants is expected to be another huge area of activity. Hintze notes: “There will be a continuing refinement of Visual AI to bridge the gap between remote and in-person collaborators, and the solutions will continue to offer smoother ‘cuts’ between shots, natural framing, and so on. The technology will become closer and closer to mimicking a professional broadcast for the remote attendee, and in-person collaborators will be able to move naturally around a room, draw on a whiteboard, sit, stand, name it — without ever worrying about what remote co-workers can see. Audio will improve, mics, speakers, and cameras will become smaller and less obtrusive, and the tech will eventually fade into the background completely.”

But along with the excitement about AI in the hybrid workplace, there are also – quite reasonably – some concerns. “I’m interested in how AI solutions find a middle ground when it comes to data protection and privacy concerns,” says Hintze. “That’s true of any solution that leans into AI, but it’s especially true when it comes to identifying individual people — and summarising meetings or moods — in hybrid work situations. The issue can become thorny, and it’ll require an open, honest and ongoing conversation between technology providers and governments.”
For Futuresource Consulting, Woodford highlights an emerging issue around terminology: “There is a trend in the market of mislabelling ‘automation’ as ‘intelligence’. That is, so-called ‘intelligent’ solutions are (mostly) aligned to the automation of work-based tasks. Once true automation is achieved, there is real value to be had within enterprises. At present, many companies are struggling to fully understand what AI is, and what value it presents to their organisation. This is especially true in the current economic climate, where decision makers and purchasers are prioritising return on investment.”
SMART SUMMITS
For all those seeking to gain a deeper understanding of a market in rapid transformation, several summits at ISE 2025 are sure to be must-attend events. With visitors set to benefit from a new initiative called ISE Tracks that identifies macro themes across multiple summits and standalone sessions, Pam Taggart – vice-president of content creation at ISE co-owner AVIXA – also pinpoints several sessions relevant to this feature.
“On Tuesday 4th February, we start with Smart Building Summit and Matthew Marson, MD EMEA, Advisory of JLL, speaking at 11:00 on realising the value of smart buildings with enterprise agility – a concept encompassing technological flexibility and the cultural and structural readiness to embrace change.
“Then On Thursday 6th February, the Smart Workplace Summit takes place in CC4.1. At 10:40, Claudia Feiner of Diconium will challenge what the mega trend priorities are and how they will impact the smart workplace now and in the future. Later, Matt Tucker, director of research at IFMA, will discuss how members are integrating AI into facility management and how this paradigm change is redefining operational efficiency, enhancing decision-making and improving service delivery.”
With AI driving both productivity and understanding of the workplace – and set to unleash innovations that we can’t even fully conceive of yet – it’s likely that the next few years will be extremely dynamic for technologies supportive of hybrid working.